Moving Backward
by excentrickchick
Summary: Friendship often ends in love but love in friendship,never.” Charles Caleb Colton [RoryLogan][HIATUS]
1. Benefits & Injuries

**Disclaimer: **No, I don't own Gilmore Girls or the characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own delusions.

**Author's Ramblings:** I wasn't supposed to post this for another week, but it's done early and I'm impatient, so here we are. The summer has brought me back. Now, I haven't done multi chapters in a while so bare with me. This picks up in 'But I'm a Gilmore' right when Rory tells Logan she wants them to be friends. And this chapter is for germ 'cause she put up with my nitpickiness.

Moving Backward 

**Chapter 01: Benefits & Injuries **

"_Friendship always benefits; love sometimes injures"._

_-Luciuc Annaeus Seneca _

"I thought I could be different, but I can't. I'm sorry. Maybe we could just go back to being friends again."

The words cut through him like a knife to the throat. It wasn't that he was unfamiliar with these words. He'd used them many times before on female companions who wanted more than Logan Huntzberger was willing to give. They went along with "Its not me; its you." and "We're just not at the same place right now." They were words that stood for a lot more than friendship. They were an ultimatum, one that Logan had never been on the receiving end of before. Play by my rules or I'm leaving because I'm too scared to play by yours. Well, Logan Huntzberger was too scared to play by hers.

He paced the room as if he were in a marathon. "Or maybe we could become boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"

"What?"

"I get it. I get what you're doing."

She bit down on her bottom lip. Hard. Of course she didn't want to be his friend. You don't suddenly become indifferent to the guy you've done everything from jumping off a fifty foot scaffolding to making fun of bad movies with. She wanted to be his girlfriend. But one State Street spotting, two telling voicemails, and several cups of Miss Patty's punch later, it had become painfully clear that he didn't want to be her boyfriend. She said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm not doing anything."

"Rory; come on."

He spit the words out as if they were a demand. A demand of what? He wasn't sure. He just knew he needed her to do something. Anything. Instead, she remained silent. So, he did the only thing he could do - the one thing that never failed him. He erased the space between them, grabbed her by the elbows, and kissed her.

She inhaled as Logan's lips captured hers. His lips were rough, thorough, and uncompromising against hers. On any other day, that kiss would have been enough. Enough to allow her to sink back into denial and into his game. Today was different. She'd just spent last night on her bathroom floor crying over a guy. That was not her, and she wouldn't become that.

Placing her hands firmly on his chest she pushed him off her and backed up against his door. "I mean it Logan; friends."

"I can't be your friend Rory."

The words held more truth than she knew. More than he was ready to admit. He couldn't be her friend simply because he couldn't be around her without claiming her for his own. He didn't want to have to share her with anyone else. Finn's party had proved that much.

"Well, I can't be one of the many."

"That's not fair."

"Neither is what you're doing to me!"

She really hadn't meant to sound so desperate. She hadn't meant to make him the bad guy in all of this. She wasn't pushed into anything. She pushed him. She approached him. He knew this would happen and tried to warn her. Now, she just wished she would have had the common sense to listen or that he had the strength to back off. Instead, everything just became more complicated.

"You knew what you were doing! No one forced you into it!"

"You're forcing me into it now!"

"Then go!"

The words flew out of his mouth before he knew what he was thinking. He knew to regret it though. He saw the pained expression on her face, the sharp intake of breath, and the watering of her eyes. Then, before he could bring himself to stop her, she did exactly what he'd asked.

She left.

* * *

When Finn and Colin arrived home from a night of unspeakable activities the last thing they expected to find was Logan home, alone, and drinking. They looked to him expectantly and all became clear after one sentence.

He lifted his head, took another sip of his whiskey, and stated, "She wants to be friends."

They nodded their heads, grabbed another bottle of whiskey and joined him on the couch. Colin spoke first. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, something must have triggered it."

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know that Colin. I've been sitting here for ten hours. The thought has crossed my mind."

"Jeez mate…" Finn added. "Don't snap at him. He's just trying to help."

"Well he's not." He turned to Colin, his words slightly slurred. "You're not helping me Colin."

Laughing, Colin smacked Logan on the back. "Sorry about that." He paused. "You know what you need? You need a good night out with a great blonde. Why don't you call Cassandra back?"

"Nah. I think I'm just going to go to bed. Night guys."

They said their goodnights and when Logan was securely in his room Finn spoke.

"I knew this was going to happen."

"It was inevitable."

"She's not that type of girl…Gilmore. She needs more."

"And Logan's to scared to give her that."

"I don't blame him mate; commitment scares the shit out of me. I can't be tied down to one girl. I'd—"

"Yea, but Logan would. He'd be happy."

"You think?"

"Yea…he would have."

Sighing, Finn shook his head. "Well it's too late now. The doll wants to be his friend. Imagine, Huntzberger friends with a female."

"That'll be the day."

Rubbing his hands together Finn began concocting plans. "Well Col-Col, the night is still young, and I can still walk in a straight line. We are not staying in tonight."

"Damn right. Just because Huntz is turning into a kill joy doesn't mean we have to go down with him."

"I refuse to go down!"

"So what do you want to do?""

A moment of silence and a look of pure bliss appeared on Finn's face. "Get the passports, three bottles of whip cream and Logan's wallet. I've got a plan."

"Lead the way Finny!"

* * *

She sat through a few classes, but comprehended nothing. Being at Yale wasn't helping how she felt. Everywhere reminded her of him, and she needed to get away. Trying to avoid thinking of him only made her do it more.

She packed her bags, and headed home. She needed to wallow.

"I did it. I ended it." She told her mother a few hours later. Her voice cracked and she collapsed in her mother's arms. "He didn't want to be my friend." She whispered between sobs.

* * *

"It's for the best babe."

Lorelai sighed rubbing her daughter's back as they sat in the living room wallowing, over what had been lost. "It may not seem like it now, but it is. Trust me."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Rory nodded. "I know. I just…he was…it was different with him mom. It felt different."

"Maybe…maybe that's because it was so casual, you know. Maybe that's why it felt more exciting. I'm not saying don't date around, I'm just saying…don't get _that _involved with someone when there's no future. There's no future with Logan. You'll see. In two months this will be the best decision you ever made."

She nodded her head. What else could she do? She couldn't protest because she had nothing to dispute or any evidence to prove her point. The logistics were in front of her. She made the right choice. She just wished it didn't hurt so much.

* * *

"Are you sick?" Paris dropped her pen. She turned to Rory who was currently on the couch, wrapped in five blankets and reading. "Because if you're sick I need to get out the disinfectant. You've been like this for three days straight. Is that why you've been moping?"

"No Paris. I'm not sick."

"Then what's the problem?"

She sighed, wrapping herself further in the blankets. "Logan and I aren't seeing each other anymore."

"Oh, did he--?"

"No it was me; I wasn't comfortable with the situation."

"Oh."

"Yea." She sighed, turning back to her book.

"If you need to talk or anything…you know…"

"Thanks Paris."

A pause.

"You know, Doyle and I still haven't defined our relationship."

"Oh, are you okay that?"

"Well, I don't really have a choice, now do I?"

"You could always ask him."

"Ask him?"

"What he wants. You have a right to know, if you want to."

She fumbled with her shirt for a minute. "Rory?"

"Yes, Paris?"

"Is it worth it, to know?"

Rory closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "I haven't decided yet."

* * *

"This is insane. It's insane right?"

Logan looked to Colin and Finn as he paced his room for the hundredth time. They didn't answer and he really didn't expect them too. He'd been repeating those very questions for hours. When you broke up with a girl you were supposed to be free of her. But since their last encounter, all Logan could think about was Rory.

He missed her. He missed not seeing her. Not talking to her. Not kissing her. He missed not feeling her presence, not seeing her everyday. He missed calling her. He'd enjoyed their offbeat banter and eccentric jokes. He couldn't do that with other girls.

Mostly, he just missed her.

"I mean me being her friend? I slept with the girl for god sakes. How am I supposed to be her friend?"

"Do you want an answer for that one?"

"Shut up Finn."

"Right, sorry."

"Look Huntz…" Colin began. "I get that this is a life altering decision, or whatever. But you've been whining for over a week. Just make a decision and stick with it."

Together he and Finn stood up to leave.

"He's right mate." Fin patted him on the back. "Make a decision and when you're back to the Logan we all know and love, come down to the Alligator Lounge. We're meeting Steph and a few of her delectable debutante friends."

Logan watched them leave, and returned to the couch.

* * *

Rory Gilmore was having the most wonderful dream about her and Brad Pitt when she heard a tap at her window. Turning over in her bed she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. This was taking her Logan hallucinations to a whole new level. She could have sworn she heard a—

There it was again. She pulled herself out of bed and unlocked her window. Looking outside for the intruder she only spotted Logan. Her heart dropped to her stomach as he extended his hand and said one word.

"Friends?"


	2. No Rules

**Disclaimer: **No, I don't own Gilmore Girls or the characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own delusions.

**Author's Ramblings:** So it took longer than expected. Sorry about that. But hey, at least I'm updating right?

**Moving Backward**

**Chapter 02: No Rules**

_There are no rules for friendship. _

_It must be left to itself._

_We cannot force it any more than love._

_-__William Hazlitt_

Logan watched as his one word admission registered with Rory and sighed. He had thought of various ways she might respond to his proposal. Maybe just shake his hand and be done with it or invite him in to talk. She might give him a quick thank you kiss. Or, if he really stretched his imagination, she might grab him; pull him into a kiss and well…Logan wouldn't be climbing out of her window that night.

Despite all the ways Logan thought Rory might have responded--and he had thought of plenty because she was silent for a long time—the last thing he expected her to do was pull her window closed, shut the curtain and turn out the light.

He stood there shocked for a total of thirty seconds before retaliating with a loud 'thump' on her window. What in God's name was wrong with her? Didn't she see he was doing what she wanted? He was trying to be her friend. Locking him out, however, was not a very friendly thing to do.

"Rory! Open up." A pause. "Come on Rory!"

She flinched at the sound of her name. Rory. He hardly ever called her Rory. She could count the number of times he'd called her that since his nickname for her first emerged. Five times. Twice at her grandparents vow renewal, when the whole thing started. She blushed at the memory. Another time was earlier in the week, when it was supposed to end. And two more times just now. Five times. She realized that she doesn't like the sound of her name coming from his lips. It signifies seriousness. Problems. A rift between them.

Dean always made it sound like something perfect. Stretching it out. Two syllables, like it was something to be honored or cherished. Jess had made it sound desirable, wanted. Breathed all at once, barely above a whisper when they'd been kissing. With Logan, she would rather be anything than Rory. Well, barring kiddo. She giggled at the memory. It brings her back to reality. Suddenly she was more aware than ever of the fact that Logan was standing outside her dorm room, well after midnight, banging on her window and asking to be her friend.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh, and opened the window once again. "Can I help you?" She hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

A sigh. He looked straight at her. "Look I think I did this wrong. Can I come in?"'

Nodding she stepped aside and let him in. Immediately she backed up, folding her arms over her chest. Protection, she thought. She needed to protect herself from him.

"What are you doing here?"

He took a step forward. She took one back. He got the message. From then on, he stood still. "I can't stop thinking about you. You've been on my mind all week."

"Logan I can't—"

"I know, and that's okay. We don't have to be together like that but let's at least see each other. I figured we could try being friends, like you suggested?"

"You're serious?" The skepticism was evident in every syllable.

"As a heart attack." He smirked.

"See that, right there is what is making me doubt this."

A shrug and half a smile. "I miss you Ace." He closed the space between them quickly, and wrapped her in his embrace. "What do you say, friends?"

She smiled back and silently agreed. She just hoped they were both able to do this. Being friends with Logan Huntzberger hadn't worked the first time. It was going to take a lot of effort to make it work now.

Stephanie Anderson let out one last giggle before regaining her composure and turning to Logan. "Okay, I'm sorry. Say it again."

He only scowled.

"I'm sorry I promise not to laugh this time."

"Rory and I aren't seeing each other anymore. It wasn't working out and we're going to be friends."

Logan stopped short as his friend resumed her giggle fit. What was wrong with the world? He thought Colin and Finn were bad, asking if he had a fever, and if they wanted to schedule an appointment at the nut house or would he be doing it. Stephanie couldn't even keep a straight face when he said it.

"Why is this so funny?"

"It jus-- you…" She snorted. "Friends with a girl. When has that ever happened before?"

"Never, since my friend Steph's body was found in a ditch just outside the pub. Cause of death; unknown, but some suggest her friends."

"Let me rephrase. When was the last time you were friends with a girl who hadn't known you since the diaper days?"

He shrugged as he ordered them another round of drinks. "So I don't have a lot of experience in that area. That doesn't mean anything. How hard can it be?"

An unlady-like snort escaped her lips. "Logan you've dated this girl. You've slept with her. You've kissed her while sober."

"So?"

"So that changes everything. I swear, why you would go to Colin and Finn for advice on this type of stuff is beyond me. You need a women's touch."

"Well, what do you suggest I do?"

"Alright." She twirled a strand of her blonde hair while contemplating her friend's fate. "You say you two are just friends? Invite her to the party this weekend. Let's see what happens."

"No."

It was an immediate reaction. He responded without thinking. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Rory this weekend. He loved the idea of seeing Rory, especially since he hadn't seen her since their midnight meeting, a few days ago. On the other hand, Rory at the party, talking to others irritated him to no end. They were idiots and slime balls and he momentarily forgot that these were some of his closest friends.

She scrunched up her nose. "Why not?"

"They're not her scene." He lied easily. "Rory's not into fratt parties."

"Logan I'd hardly call those fratt parties. And besides, she seemed to have fun at Finn's birthday."

She had fun a Finn's birthday. That was exactly the reminder Logan needed at that moment. He took another sip of his drink.

She had arrived late at the newsroom, so she had to stay late, per Doyle's request. So she stayed, finished her article, and hurried to pack her bags back at the dorm. She was going home for the weekend. As it was, she was a half hour behind schedule.

She hurried for the door, bags, keys and coffee cup in hand. When her phone rang on the way out she had absolutely no intention of answering it. It was probably her mother wondering if she'd get to Stars Hallow at all. No, Rory had no intention of answering her phone, or even listening to the message. That was until, she heard his voice.

"Hey Ace, it's me. Guess you're not home. Listen, uh, a bunch of us are throwing a pre-finals party on Saturday and I was wondering if you wanted to come." He paused. "You know, as a friend. Alright, uh, just give me a call when you get the message."

Rory blinked, staring at the machine for several minutes before continuing out of her dorm. One of Logan Huntzberger's parties was the last thing she needed to deal with.

"So then after Zach proclaimed that he was leaving me for Kelly Osborne because she's just so much more rock and roll, I decided to run away and join the circus. But I can't decide tight rope walker or clown?"

A pause.

"Rory?"

"Huh? Oh…right, the tight rope walker had a frown."

"Okay. That's it." Lane hoped off her stool in Luke's flipped her black hair out of her face, and stared her friend straight in the eye. "What is the matter with you?"

Rory crinkled her nose. "What do you mean?"

"I just proclaimed that Zach left me for Kelly Osborne and you didn't even turn your head."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry Lane. I'm just a little preoccupied today."

"Yeah, I can tell, but because of what?"

Her friend sighed, biting down on her lower lip. She said nothing. How did she tell Lane what had happened between her and Logan these past two weeks? She wasn't even sure what had happened herself.

Reluctantly Rory her last few encounters with Logan, starting with her trip to his dorm and ending with his message on her answering machine. True to form, Lane cringed, cried, and sighed in all the right places. She hugged her friend at the end of the tale and told her that everything would be all right, even if she didn't know that for sure yet.

"I just don't know how to handle it all. And I can't tell my mom, because she'll just tell me to forget about him and move on and—"

"You don't want to do that."

"I just can't see him not being in my life, you know?"

Placing her chin in her hand, Lane sighed. "Yep. I know."

A moment of silence.

"So when's the party?"

"Tonight."

"Where?"

"Not sure."

"Oh, well…could you find out?"

"I could, but why?"

"Well…" Lane motioned between the two of them.

"You and me…go?"

"Yes."

With her hand on her head Rory let out a sigh. She wanted to go. She did. She wanted to see him; she just didn't know if she could see him. He'd probably have a date with him, and he would probably ignore her all night. But he had invited her, and they had agreed to be friends. She could go, have some fun, introduce Lane to her Yale friends, and prove she was over him.

She gave her a weak smile. "You sure that's a good idea? Last time we crashed a rich people party you ended up liking a guy your parents would approve of and I ended up kissing my arch enemy?"

"But…." Lane motioned with her hands, trying to find reason. "We're older now. More mature. We know how to handle ourselves, and…I have a boyfriend. So the liking a guy thing isn't an option."

"Right."

"So, you want to go?"

Biting her lower lip Rory contemplated for a moment. "We'd need to go shopping first. And I'll need to call one of them—not Logan. I'll call Stephanie. I have her number; I think. I'll ask her where it is."

"Right. So you get the location. Then we can go shop, and get you a totally hot outfit that will make Logan drool—"

"I don't want to make him drool, Lane. I just….want him to notice me."

"Right, got ya. Get him to notice you. Then we can spend the rest of the night and Sunday in your dorm catching up some more. Zach and Brian and doing a guy's night anyway." She gave her best friend a reassuring smile.

"Okay. Let me call her."

Rummaging through her purse Rory found her cell phone and dialed the number of one of the few females Rory got along with from Logan's group of friends. "Hi, Stephanie, It's Rory Gilmore…"

Hanging up the phone moments later Rory smiled. "They'll be in the Great Hall at Berkeley. Remember that."

"Got it. Now come on!" Lane grabbed Rory and dragged her towards the door. "Let's go shopping!"

"Aren't you working?"

"Oh, right." She threw off her apron, and quickly yelled to Luke that she was taking the rest of the day off. He grunted, and they took it as their sign of approval.


	3. Physical Antipathy

**Disclaimer: **No, I don't own Gilmore Girls or the characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own delusions.

**Author's Ramblings:** I apologize. These updates are taking much longer than I anticipated. My muse has been on vacation. Maybe now that I'm enjoying my vacation it will come back. Also, thanks to germ for beta-ing this me for me and just for being there.

Moving Backward 

**Chapter 03: Physical Antipathy **

"_A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, _

_but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy."_

_-__Friedrich Nietzsche_

Logan and his date entered the party fashionably late. His arm hung loosely around his date's back, while she mumbled something about being glad to have a chance to finally hang out. It was easy for him to pretend like he was paying attention. All he had to do was nod enthusiastically with the occasional grunt. Meanwhile, his eyes searched the crowd for a particular brunette. Whether or not she was there, he was unsure of. She never called him back and for all he knew she could have gone home early that weekend and never gotten the message. Still, he couldn't stop himself from looking closely at each girl with coffee colored hair and ocean blue eyes.

What Logan hadn't expected was to find the very girl laughing with his best friends. She and Stephanie were exchanging a knowing look, stifling giggles as they watched Colin and Finn swoon over a petite Asian girl. He realized that she had to be Lane. Dressed in a funky plaid mini skirt and a hot pink top she fit Rory's descriptions perfectly. At the moment Lane was smiling wearily as Finn kissed her hand.

Checking to make sure that it was just the two of them and that Rory hadn't brought a date he allowed his gaze to fall appreciatively on Rory. Clad in jeans and a tight black top she was a sight Logan didn't mind viewing at all. Her hair was down, straight and loose. She tucked her head at one of Colin's comments and a few strands swayed. He itched to put them into place. He tightened his jaw. No; he couldn't.

Turning to his date, whose name had once again failed him, Logan nodded once more for good measure, complimented her on her outfit, which left nothing to the imagination (secretly Logan thought this was a shame) and excused himself to get them drinks.

"Well, well, well. I see I'm no longer needed."

"Nope." Colin answered. "Gilmore and her friend are far more entertaining than you, plus they're nicer to look at."

Logan resisted the urge to tell Colin he shouldn't be looking at Rory, and replied only with a false laugh. He turned to the brunette in question, touching her shoulder.

"Ace, I'm glad you came."

"Glad you invited me."

They held each other's gaze for a moment until the girl Logan had assumed was Lane stepped between them. "But not as glad as I am. Hi, Logan. I'm Lane. Rory has told me quite a bit about you."

"Nice to meet you Lane, Roryhas told me a lot about you, as well. But I must warn you, I'm sure only a fraction of what she's said about me is actually true."

The girl eyed him skeptically and he squirmed a little under her gaze. "Somehow I doubt that." That was her only reply.

He would have said more, if his date, Kimberly (or was it Kathy?) hadn't come up from behind, looping her arm through his. "Hey sweetie, I thought you were getting us drinks."

Biting back a curse he turned to Katie (he was pretty sure that was it.) "I'm sorry sweetie. I guess I got preoccupied. Let's go get those drinks now."

* * *

Rory Gilmore had never considered herself to be particularly jealous, that was until she had stared dating Logan. Sure she had her moments, like when Jess had been dating Shane or when she had been stupid enough to reopen the Dean/Lindsay can of worms. But she had never minded them talking to other girls, laughing with other girls, or being near them. After all, she had male friends. It was only natural.

Now as she watched Logan's date shamelessly throw herself at him she wondered what had been wrong with her all those years. She and Logan never even had a proper relationship and she wanted to run over and yank his date's plastic Barbie body apart.

She groaned and searched the area for Lane. It didn't take long to locate her being paraded around the dance floor by Finn. She strained her ears to hear a bit of their conversation and laughed as Finn asked Lane to leave her boyfriend and run away to Hawaii with him. At least Lane was having a good time.

"Rory Gilmore."

The voice broke through her gaze. Upon connecting the face to the voice a slight blush ran up her cheeks. She hadn't seen this particular person since a very bad, very unorthodox date.

"Robert, it's nice to see you."

"You too Gilmore, though it would have been nicer if you had answered any of my phone calls."

Her blush deepened. "I'm sorry about that. It was just…I…" She stumbled for the words. "I was having a hard time at the moment."

He held up his hand in protest. "Say no more. I knew my chances were shot before I asked you out. You were dating Huntz, and though it was fair game, I could tell neither you nor he were that thrilled by the idea."

"Well, it doesn't really matter what Logan thinks, because we're not seeing each other anymore." She winced at the bitterness that easily escaped her lips. She didn't want anyone, least of all Robert, to tell she cared who Logan was dating.

"You and Huntz are done, really?"

"Yep."

"Well in that case, Rory, would you be so kind as to dance with me?"

"Oh…I don't know. I'm not really—."

"Come on, I'll be a perfect gentlemen."

She glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, everyone but her that was. "Sure, why not?"

"Exactly the kind of enthusiasm every guy wants to hear."

She giggled at his self-abuse and let this boy - so different from the one her thoughts had previously been on-lead her to the dance floor.

* * *

He felt her presence immediately. His body tensed, his eyes searched and then he saw her. She was dancing with Robert, and there was not a thing in the world he could do to stop it. He had a date; she didn't. She was free to dance with whomever she wanted. Even if he hadn't had a date, he realized, there was still nothing he could do because they were in fact, no longer dating.

He let this new form of helplessness settle over him. He didn't like it. And then, a new idea occurred to him. He and Rory were supposedly friends. Surely he and Rory could engage in a friendly dance. He left a conversation that he had long ago lost interest in without a glance backward. (His date had left to go to the bathroom to 'freshen up' fifteen minutes ago and he hadn't worried about her lack of presence since.)

Tapping Robert on the back, he smiled genuinely. "May I cut in?"

Robert gave him a twisted grin. "Come on Huntz, you've had your chance. I thought I was free to pursue Miss Gilmore from now on."

Clenching his fists Logan restrained himself. "You were always free to pursue her Rob. It's not my fault she's just been running away from said efforts."

"Logan." Rory hissed, stepping out of Robert's embrace "Stop it."

Using this change of position to his advantage Logan grabbed Rory by the waist, pulled her towards him, and then steered the both of them away from Robert. He smirked at his dance partner smugly, but she did not seem amused.

"Why did you do that Logan?"

"I wanted to dance with you. Robert shouldn't have you all to himself Ace, he needs to share."

"I'm not his to share." She bit out angrily. "I'm not anyone's to share Logan, and this whole friendship will work out a lot better if you remember that."

"Duly noted."

She frowned. "Come on Ace, you're not really mad at me, are you?"

"Well, his debate over whether to name his parrot Polly or Paula was getting slightly annoying." She admitted.

Laughing, Logan twirled her around. "That's my girl."

Except, neither of them seemed to realize, she wasn't.

* * *

Living in Stars Hollow for her entire life, Lane Kim had met some eccentric people. None, however, seemed to compare the creatures that sat before her. She sat with Colin, Finn and Stephanie, all of whom had consumed more alcohol than her, yet seemed completely sober.

"So…" Finn took another swig of his drink before addressing Lane. "You've known our dear reporter girl her whole life?"

"Yep; we've been friends since we were three."

It was Stephanie that spoke next. "Logan, Colin and I go that far back too. And then Finny joined our little club around the time we all hit puberty."

"And what a perfect time to join it was."

"Hush Finn, I'm trying to make a point."

"Which doesn't happen very often."

"Be quiet Colin." The blonde's attention returned to Lane. "So I assume Rory told you all about 'The Adventures of Ace and Huntzberger?'"

"Every last detail."

"So you too know that they won't last long before they're back in the same situation?" Colin questioned.

"I don't know about that…" Lane shrugged. "Rory was really upset after she ended things with Logan. I don't know if she'd risk it all again, at least not the way things happened last time."

Silence engulfed them, but Lane pushed forward. "Logan must be some guy for Rory to do that in the first place though. She's not that type of girl."

"Never thought she was, love." Finn shook his head. "I was rooting for her though; she kept Logan on his toes."

"Looks like she's still doing a pretty good job of that." Colin observed, nodding his head towards the dance floor.

They watched for a moment, and then Stephanie spoke. "Alright, so who wants to keep track of the bets?"

"I'll do it." Lane volunteered.

Eagerly, they began creating a pool. "But just in case Rory asks, I had nothing to do this and am appalled by your behavior."

"That goes for me too." The other girl told them. "Logan would kill me. I'm supposed to know better than you idiots.

The two idiots in question simply shrugged.


	4. Wishing Slowly

**Disclaimer: **I don't own. You don't sue.

**Author's Ramblings:** Just for the record I have no intention of making the friends play matchmaker. It has been done to many times, even by myself. They're going to have to figure this out all on their own. Oh, and I'm sorry for the ridiculous wait. I have no good excuse. Laziness, tiredness, lack of anything worth writing.

Moving Backward 

**Chapter 04: Wishing Slowly **

_Wishing to be friends is quick work,_

_but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit. _

–_Aristotle_

The rest of the night passed with some semblance of normalcy. That normalcy being that Finn still ended up drunk and half naked, Colin and Stephanie stole an intoxicated kiss, and Rory and Logan spent the night in each other's company. Lane stood back, watching this scene unfold before her. Sothis was college life. She could do without the extra drama thank-you-very-much. Nevertheless that didn't mean she didn't enjoy watching drama unfold before her. And oh, there was drama. Things got interesting once again, as the party began to wrap up. She watched as the group struggled to remain nonchalant, despite the fact that they all wanted something more.

Rory Gilmore let out a deep sigh as she and Logan walked, arm and arm, towards the table where their friends had gathered. Moving out of Logan's grip and into a chair Rory smiled at her best friend. "Hey stranger…how was your night?"

"Entertaining, thanks. Your friends are hilarious."

"I like to think so." She gave the dark haired girl a nudge. "Sorry I left you on your own all night. I got a little preoccupied."

She shrugged. "I might be able to forgive you if we go to that good bagel place in the morning. The one that has them shipped from New York, your treat?"

"I think we can arrange that, but tonight…" She looked at her watch and instinctively yawned. "It's getting late. You want to get going?"

"Hey you're running the show. I'm just here for the parties and free bagels."

"Right. Okay, so then let's get going, then."

"You're leaving already?" The only other female at the table asked, catching the attention of all the other occupants of their group. At the moment that included Rory, Lane, Stephanie, Colin, Finn, Robert, Logan, and his very unhappy date.

"Yeah…it's getting kind of late. Plus Lane's sleeping over so we have to do the whole eat- junk-food- gossip-watch-movies-thing. So we're just going to head back now."

"I'll walk you to back."

Logan stepped forward without thinking. If anything, it was out of instinct. All he knew was that Rory and her friend were walking home, alone, late at night; he didn't like the thought of that. Logan had always walked Rory home when they were out in a group. Always. Well, except for two times. The first being when the bartender had taken off in frenzy and the second being when Robert had asked Rory out. Neither of which, he wanted to remember at that moment. He was nonetheless, brought out of his thoughts by a nudge and an annoyed glare from his date. Apparently he'd been ignoring her.

Rory barely had time to register Logan's offer to walk them home, never mind respond that it was unnecessary before Logan's Barbie doll began yelling in protest, all the while shooting daggers at both herself at Logan. Yes, in all honesty Rory had to admit that she had a right too, but it wasn't as if Rory had asked Logan to dance with her, or even to take her home. She had been fine spending the night with Lane; having fun with her friend. That was why she was there. It was just that now, Logan was one of her friends. She shook her head. Things were getting too complicated.

"Really, Logan, I'll be fine."

"That's ridiculous Ace. It's late and it's dark. You walking home alone is unacceptable."

"Well, so is my walking home alone." Barbie body piped up.

"I know sweetie, but we're not leaving now. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone."

"That's not necessary either Huntz, I'll walk these ladies home." Robert smiled, offering an arm to both Rory and Lane.

"Really Robert…" Rory began.

Logan's jaw clenched. "Yeah, really Robert. You don't need too—"

"Ah, but I want too. That is the difference." He grinned. The girls finally gave in, looping their arms through Roberts. "Have a nice night, Huntz." He winked and turned away.

* * *

"So, how was the party? Did you and Huntzberger get back together?"

Rory smiled, taking off her coat. "The party was fine Paris and no Logan and **I** didn't get back together. We were never together to begin with…"

"They just danced all night, and didn't leave each other's side. Plus, he almost had a coronary when this guy Robert offered to take us home."

Paris shrugged, flipping through the channels. "Nothing new there. Huntzberger wants to treat her like his girl, but he doesn't want her to be called his girl. Commitment scares him. "

"Oh, like Doyle is so open to the idea of being your boyfriend?"

"Well, actually, Doyle and I sat down, had an adult conversation, and decided that we are in a mature, adult relationship."

"Oh well…that's good for you guys. Really good."

Realization covered Paris's features. "Rory…I didn't mean—"

"Don't worry about it Paris."

* * *

Letting out a sigh of relief Rory gave into the warmth of the shower. Closing her eyes, she let the water pelt harshly against her body. It had been some night. Everything came rushing back to her Paris' comments, her dance with Robert, her dances with Logan, the look in his eye when Robert had walked her home. She couldn't be sure, but she would bet that it was jealousy.

It was a horrible thing to say, but she almost liked that he was jealous. It meant that he still cared for her, didn't it? It meant that she might not have been exactly like all of the rest if it bothered him when she was around other guys. That had to mean something, didn't it? She let all of these thoughts go. After all, wasn't Logan supposed to be her friend now? They were friends; not two people who were dating or two people who used to date. They were just friends.

Rory bit down on her bottom lip. Sometimes it felt like her relationship with Logan was going in reverse. They were friends now, they had dated, and slept together, and before that she had hated him. To say the least, it wasn't a normal relationship.

Again, as she changed into her favorite pajamas (they had pastries and coffee cups on them) she tried to clear her mind. The nothingness lasted about two seconds before her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller id. It was Logan.

She let it go to voicemail.

She had more important things to deal with tonight. Lane and Paris were waiting. They had a movie night to begin. And as she made her way back into the common room she tried not to think about the fact that both girls had worked out their romantic problems while it seemed like hers were just beginning.

* * *

"Hey, it's Rory. You know what to do. And if you don't, well, you shouldn't be calling my phone when I'm not around…or at all."

Pacing his floor, Logan waited for the beep. It came, and he left his message. "Hey Ace, its Logan. Just checking to make sure you got home okay. I'm taking this to mean that you're already asleep. Okay, um…call me."

Hanging up, Logan resisted the urge to throw his phone against a wall. Why wasn't she answering, and why did he care so god damn much? It certainly wasn't because he was her friend. Yes, he and Rory had more than a physical connection, yes he valued her friendship, but that didn't mean he hadn't had to resist the urge to kiss her all night long.

Whether she was unaffected by his presence or she was just one hell of an actor, Logan wasn't sure. All he knew was that it bugged him that she seemed so calm all evening. And then, she had refused his offer to walk her home only to allow Robert to do so instead. He didn't know what to think.

Logan decided, instead not to think at all. He returned to the party room, ordered himself a vodka tonic, and kissed Ashley (He had finally managed to figure out her name) hard on the lips. "What's gotten into you?" She asked playfully.

He shrugged, consuming another drink. "Just in a better mood, is all."

* * *

She awoke the next morning to the insistent buzzing, not of her alarm clock, but of her cell phone. Groaning she rolled over, and silenced the phone, punching in her password. Apparently she had six new voicemails, an unusual amount for someone who had last seen said phone only eight hours before.

The first was from Logan. He had left her a message when she hadn't answered her phone. She smiled as she played it. He had been worried about her. He was playing this friend card pretty well. Quickly she moved along to the next message; she would call Logan back and tell him she was fine. Eventually.

The next, was from Emily Gilmore. She didn't understand how her granddaughter could possibly still be sleeping. It was after eleven. She went on to inform Rory that next week's dinner had been canceled. Instead, she was to attend a dinner party with her grandparents. The hosts were dieing to meet her, or so she'd been told.

There was one from her mother, but it was for Lane. Evidently Luke needed her to work an extra shift the following night. She and Luke had a date, and Luke was afraid to leave Caesar alone in charge of the diner. There was also a mention of Caesar singing under the boardwalk and eating all the food last time. She had mostly tuned that out.

Then came a message from Marty. (The two had recently began an attempt at rebuilding their friendship) However, it was the last two messages that had caught her attention.

"Gilmore…its Robert. So it is true that you and Huntz are through? It didn't look like it last night. Give me a call. I'll show you what a good time really is." She could sense his grin through the phone line. She would do nothing of the sought.

And the most recent had been from Stephanie. "Rory, hi it's Steph from the party. Remember me? I was thinking we could do lunch some time. We didn't get to talk much last night, and I have a few things to say to you. Call me."

Rory Gilmore's social calendar was becoming a bit more interesting.

* * *

"So that was you too being friends, huh? I'd love to see what you did when you were 'involved."

"Go to hell Colin."

"I'm already there my friend."

"Don't I know it. I saw that kiss between you and Stephanie. Are you two going to walk on egg shells around each other for the next week or are you going to play the i-was-so-drunk-i-don't-remember-what-happened-card?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The latter it is."

They sat in their common room, waiting for Finn to emerge from his room. They had lunch dates waiting for them. Triplets. Logan wasn't as excited about it as he should have been. He was more concerned by the fact that Rory hadn't called him back yet. But he would never admit that. He didn't have time to contemplate further because Finn came barreling out of his room, arms wide open.

"Mornin' my emotionally scared friends!"


	5. Friends & Foes

**Disclaimer: **You've caught me. It's mine, all mine. (note the sarcasm, please)

**Author's Ramblings:** This chapter is probably going to bring up a whole bunch of questions. They'll all be answered, eventually.

**Moving Backward**

**Chapter 05: Friends & Foes **

_Friends show me what I can do; foes teach me what I should do._

_-__Johann Friedrich Von Schiller_

Rory bit her lip in concentration as she typed faster with every second. She had about a minute of her caffeine buzz left and was determined to make the most of it. Her article was turning out extremely well, and if she could just word this last sentence correctly, everything would be fine.

"Glad to know you're still alive, Ace." His voice sent shivers down her spine as she turned around in her chair, regaining her composure.

"Logan. Hi, how are you?"

"Me, I'm fine. I was just making sure you weren't dead."

"What?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Three days ago, I, along with various friends of mine, left several messages of your cell phone."

"I thought you hated Robert."

Logan groaned inwardly. She brought things up at the absolute worst time. He was trying to be coy, suave, and charming. And she wasn't making it easy, damn it!

"That's not the point Ace. The point is you have yet to return any of those calls. And since the last time I saw you was when you walked off into the night protesting your need of an escort, and then taking only Robert with you I began to wonder."

"Thought I'd been eaten by bears, Huntzberger?" She grinned up at him.

He shrugged half heartedly. "The thought had crossed my mind."

A pause.

"Seriously Ace," Unconsciously his hand fell to hers. "You had me worried."

A sigh; she closed her eyes, ignoring the feel if their touching skin. "I'm sorry Logan. I meant to call you back. Things have just been so busy around here, and then with classes I--."

"Excuses will do you no good. If you want to make it up to me, you can join me for coffee."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"But, my article…I have to---"

Grabbing the hand that he still held, Logan pulled her to her feet. "Move it Ace. I've found the master key to a Starbucks just for you."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Rory?"

"Yes, who's this?" Rory frowned, placing the phone between her shoulder and ear as she made her way through the crowded hallway, her arms filled with to many books for her to hold.

"It's Stephanie. Logan's friend."

"Oh, hey Steph. Sorry I haven't called you back. I've just been very busy lately."

"No problem. This is easier. You can't avoid it if I ask on short notice."

"Huh?" The books were becoming a very large problem at this point.

"Tomorrow; you have a party to go to tomorrow night right?"

"Yes, how did you—"

"Great, so we'll meet for lunch then. Does one work for you?"

"One um…." She trailed off as her books began to fall to the floor. "Oh my God…"

"I got it." Logan materialized beside her, picking up the books that had fallen, and grabbing more from her arms. She smiled at him, and motioned that she'd be off the phone in one minute.

"Actually, that sounds perfect Stephanie. Okay. See you then. — Hey."

"Stephanie? Were you talking to my friend Stephanie?"

"Yeah, why?" At this point they had reached her dorm and Rory had begun her search for the keys.

"No reason, I just didn't know that you guys spoke."

"We don't, but we're going to. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow. She wants to talk."

"Stephanie wants to talk. With you?"

"Yup."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Ace."

"And why not?"

"Well no good can come from Stephanie talking to you."

Or, from Stephanie spilling all of his secrets to Rory: the fact that he still had feelings for her and hated just being friends. Or, just the fact that he had feelings for her at all.He would kill that blonde little Barbie. Screw friendship!

"Says who?"

"Me."

"And who the hell are you?"

"I'm just saying, you two are very different people, and she tends to always have a motive when she puts this much effort into something."

"Well, I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can but—"

"Logan." She grabbed her books from his arms, and looked him firmly in the eye. "I can take care of myself."

He sighed. "Okay Ace."

She turned towards her dorm room. "Just as soon as you open this door for me."

He laughed, and moved forward to help her inside.

* * *

"Why won't you tell me why you're meeting her?"

"Because it's none of your damn business!"

"It is if you're going to talk about me!"

"God, you are an arrogant ass, aren't you?"

"Anderson!"

"Huntzberger!"

Stephanie grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. "Huntzberger, I am going to walk out that door and you're not going to bother me, because if you do then I will make sure I tell Rory all about your trip to Rio with the native triplets."

Letting out a frustrated growl Logan stepped aside.

* * *

Rory drummed her fingers against the table anxiously. Where was she? And why had Stephanie wanted to meet her in the first place? This was not good. This was far from good. What had made her agree to meet with her in the first place? Oh that's right, Logan had been there, and she wanted to talk to him. And then, he thought she shouldn't meet her. Of course, that made her more insistent on meeting Stephanie. Now, she was regretting her decision for all the same reasons Logan had told her not to meet his friend.

"Hey reporter girl!" The blonde hoped easily into the empty seat. "I'm glad you showed."

"Hey Stephanie…what's up?"

"Um, well I was going to make awkward conversation for a while, but sure let's get right down to it. Um, I asked you to lunch so we could talk about Logan."

"Right. I figured as much. What about him?"

"Okay, well don't take this the wrong way, but you can't date him."

"Excuse me?" Rory raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, let me explain first. You are a nice girl."

"Uh…thanks."

"Logan is not a nice boy."

"Stephanie!"

"Well he's not."

"He's one of your best friends."

"And as a friend I accept his flaws." She paused. "But you as his lover will soon come only to see those flaws."

"I am his friend! Not his---we haven't been seeing each other like that for a while now."

"Yes I know, but I'm speaking of when this charade falls. I already see the cracks."

"Charade, there's no charade. We're friends. That's it."

"And what happens when one of you wants to be more than friends?"

"We won't."

"But what if?"

"I won't let it get to that point." She nibbled at her lip.

"This is why you should just break off this "friends" fascination. You're a nice girl Rory, and a great friend to have. I don't want to see you get hurt. Especially, not by Logan. I've seen girls come and go in his life, and even though you are different, he'll mess it up. It's what he does."

"I—"

"I know you don't want to here this, and I know you probably think I'm crazy because Logan's my friend, but I've seen him hurt too many girls. You've already been hurt. Don't let him do it again."

Rory sat, absorbing this information as she became particularly interested in her coffee.

* * *

It wasn't that she was avoiding him.

At least not permanently.

At least not yet.

Rory twirled the champagne in her glass. Leaning against the inside doors of the library she inwardly debated. Of all the parties Emily Gilmore could have forced her into it had to be one thrown by Roberts's parents, with entire LDB entourage in tow. They were the last thing she needed tonight.

She needed time.

She needed time to think and to process. She needed to decide if she really believed what Stephanie had said or if it was part of some big scheme. It might even have been prompted by Logan. But why? What could Stephanie possibly gain from Rory not being friends with Logan? It wasn't him; everyone knew Stephanie harbored a secret crush for Colin, one she barely knew of. Then what was it? Rory inhaled deeply. Unless Stephanie was just being genuine. Was that possible? She had always seemed genuine. Now, Rory didn't know.

"You're being particularly evasive tonight, Ace."

Her mind returned to its rightful place as Logan and company moved towards her. She had to deal with minor problems first. Like, say, being in the same room with him.

"No more than usual, Huntzberger."

"On the contrary, Ace. I have evidence to prove your statement wrong."

Rory inhaled deeply, trying to keep her emotions in check. It was bad enough trying to avoid him, but him approaching her was even worse. It didn't help that Stephanie was always around, always being friendly, always making sure she and Logan were not alone. She could handle these things by herself, damn it!

"Really now, you must share this with me."

"Colin."

"Yes commander?"

"Please repeat Miss Gilmore's greeting to me tonight, along with style of response and her companions of choice. Compare them to recent events."

"Miss Gilmore's greeting was cold and formal, 'Logan, it's always a pleasure."

"My grandmother was there!"

"Her responses have been short and to the point. I.e.: 'So Ace, have you written any new articles lately?' 'No' 'Care to expand?' 'No.'"

"That was my favorite by the way." He punctuated this statement by leaning towards her with a grin.

Colin continued down his list, stating that her companions for the night were people she rarely new, and whom they knew she had no interest in. He went on to talk of how at all previous engagements she had been in the company of the best and brightest at the party. Rory made attempts at responses, poking holes in his arguments. However, her heart was not in it. And when Logan turned toward her once again with a grin, she simply glared. He had no idea how that grin was killing her.

Logan took another sip of his drink. Yes, he appeared calm, cool, arrogant, and charismatic as ever. That was on the outside. Inside, he was frantic, wondering if Rory's silence had anything to do with her little chat with Stephanie, and if it did, how he could kill her without being convicted.


	6. Constant

**Disclaimer: **Things would be a little different if I was writing the show. So no, I don't own Rory, Logan, Lorelei or any of the other characters.

**Author's Ramblings:**

Moving Backward 

**Chapter 06: Constant**

_Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love. _

_-__William Shakespeare_

Lorelei Gilmore was going to die. From sheer boredom. Either that or she was going to kill herself so she didn't die from boredom. A slow, painful, dull death.

What was she doing here? Why had she inflicted this torture upon herself? Why had she let her daughter talk her into coming to this event, and why hadn't she been able to convince Luke to come too? Maybe her daughter had developed the power to brain wash people. Anything was possible at Yale.

Lorelei scanned the room in a search for the brunette in question. Where had her daughter disappeared to? The last she had seen of her a fine specimen of the male species had been asking her to run away him. Lorelei had walked away for fear that she might say yes instead.

Now she was afraid that the man with the Australian accent had been a friend of the evil spawn with the blonde hair and blue eyes. Her daughter did not need to be having second thoughts. She needed to get Rory away from him.

She swiftly passed through room after room of important people, until she made it to the pool house. Lorelei stopped short before entering the room, and observed her daughter. She was sitting on the arm of a couch, champagne glass in hand and rolling her eyes at something another young man, she assumed he was Colin, had said. He, who she would not name, stood next to her, observing her every move. She reminded Lorelei of herself too dam much.

Walking forward in a fit of rage Lorelei plastered a smile on her face and stopped only when her arms were around her daughter. "Rory, thank God I found you. Mommy was going to kill herself from sheer boredom."

"Mom…" Her daughter stuttered as the other elite stumbled to straighten their ties, hide the alcohol, and look dignified.

"Ms. Gilmore, uh, we…"

"Save it boys, Rory here tells me everything. So I know all about you're underage drinking and your so called sub-parties. I'm not here to bust you. I'm just here for some entertainment…"

"Mom, um can I talk to you for a moment away from the crowd…"

"Sure, sweetie."

Rory grabbed her mother by the arm and dragged her to a secluded section of the rather large pool house. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Saving you."

"From what?"

"From yourself. Rory you don't need to be around him right now. It's just going to make things worse."

The younger Gilmore sighed, staring at her feet. "Rory, what is it?"

"Logan and I are friends. We're going to be friends."

"Excuse me, what, what did you say?"

Rory sighed. "Mom…"

"I thought I heard you say you were going to be friends with Logan."

"I did."

"Rory! Come on!" Lorelei stopped just short of stomping her foot. "Be serious here."

"I am serious. Mom." She paused. "I miss him. Okay, I missed him a lot when we weren't talking and just because we're not seeing each other anymore it doesn't mean I have to cut him out of my life completely!"

"Yes, it does. Do you see me talking to any of my exes?"

"Well, I'm not you, am I?"

Placing her drink on a nearby table Rory stormed towards the door.

As Lorelei watched her daughter walk away she sighed, backing up against the wall. She watched Logan grab her arm on the way out, she watched her daughter pull away from him as she continued on her way out, and she watched Logan gulp down his drink as he began to pace. That was so not how it was supposed to go.

* * *

"Well, I'm not you am I?"

Logan watched as Rory stormed passed him, and before he could stop himself he was grabbing her arm. She'd ignored him all night and all he could do was make sure she was okay. Maybe he could find something out about her very recent behavior if he got her to talk normally with him.

"Where are you going, Ace?"

She shook her head, and wriggled free from Logan's arm. "I just need some time to think, please Logan."

He sighed, and let her walk out the door, before grabbing another glass of champagne.

"See, now Christopher would have at least run after me."

"Ms. Gilmore—"

"For the love of God, it's Lorelei!"

"Lorelei, right I'm sorry, Ms. –Lorelei."

"Let's cut right to the chase here Logan. I don't like you."

"That's…understandable."

"I don't like you and I really don't want you around my daughter, whether you're in a relationship or otherwise."

"Well…that's impossible."

Taken aback Lorelei hardened. "Excuse me?"

"I get that you hate me and everything I represent and that if it was up to you it would be my head on those little platters they're serving here tonight, but it's not up to you. It's up to Rory."

"Hey, back off!"

"Now until I've mad my point." Logan's voice was firm. "Rory and I are going to continue to have some type of relationship, romantically or otherwise, and there is nothing you can do about it."

A pause.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on your daughter."

Watching him walk away Lorelei muttered to herself. "Christopher never would have said that to my mother."

* * *

Rory wrapped her arms more firmly around her chest as she walked alongside the pool. She wished she would have remembered to bring a shawl, but the cool air managed to calm her somewhat.

It seemed like everyone was suddenly against her and Logan socializing never mind being together. And that was the worst part, the being together thing was still in the back of her head. She couldn't get it out of her head, as much as she tried to think of him as platonically as she saw Finn and Colin, but she couldn't.

There was so much tension. There was so much history in such a short span of time. They argued. They laughed. They kissed. They made up. They made out.

Even without the relationship or lack there of, she still wanted him around. He challenged her. He debated with her. They had intelligent conversations. She liked talking to him. She liked debating with him, almost as much as she liked kissing him. But, oh she liked kissing him too.

See, this was her problem. This was what both Stephanie and her mother were trying to warn her about. She'd fall for him again; hell she was still fallen from their last round. Then one day she'd kiss him. They'd get back into their old habits. Things would seem okay, until she saw him with another girl.

They'd fight, and then he would disappear.

"Rory!"

Except she was having a hard time imagining him disappear when he just kept reappearing.

"I knew you couldn't have gotten that far Ace, but I thought you would have made it passed the pool."

"Logan…" She turned and gave the root of her current problems a weak smile before letting herself fall into a lawn chair.

"Oh, so you're actually going to talk to me now. Hmm, interesting…"

"Logan, don't."

"By the way, you know the whole your-mom-hates-me-thing?"

"Yeah…"

"I think I just made it worse."

"Why? What did you do?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure she was about to tell me to stay away from you, but I cut her off telling her that it was your decision and not hers, and to mind her own business."

Logan winced as the look of shock on Rory's face. Yes, mouthing off to the mother of the girl you are-well you're not sure what you are-with is the perfect way to score some bonus points.

Instead of attacking him, however, she laughed. Hysterically, and repeatedly. "My mom and I just fought about the exact same thing."

"Well I guess we're not as different as you make us out to be."

A sigh. "No, I guess not."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Rory worked up the nerve to speak. Biting her lip in nervousness she finally spoke. "Logan, it's not just my mother who doesn't think we should see each other."

"Who is it Ace, Finn? Are you taking him up on his offer to spend some time in Fiji?"

"It's Stephanie, Logan."

"You're running away with Stephanie to Fiji?"

"No, I mean its Stephanie that doesn't think we should be friends."

"That's absurd."

Rory turned away. "I met her for lunch the other day and she made some valid points. At first I thought it was just some protective sister thing, but I don't know, the more I think about it the more I think she's right.

"What?" He was standing now, hovering over her.

"I'm not saying that I want to stop talking to you. I'm just saying I need to figure a few things out first."

"Rory, come on, be reasonable."

Rory stood up, and faced Logan for the first time all night.  
"I'm being rational Logan. That's better than reasonable. What is this? What are we? Were we ever friends? We weren't together? We were just…casually dating. And now we've stopped casually dating."'

He took a step towards her, and placed his hands on her hips. "I don't want to stop seeing you."

"Well, that's not your choice to make."

"And it's not yours either! Damn it, Rory!"

Silence. Rory tried to form words and failed. All she could do was make her escape.

"I should go back inside, sort things out with my mother, you know?"

Logan nodded, and stepped out of the way to let her pass. But before he did he brushed his lips softly and slowly against hers. She walked forward at first, not completely realizing what happened, and then she turned back to him

With a shake of her head Rory crushed her lips against his, her hands holding onto either side of his face. Passionate, insane, amazing. Logan, at first afraid to move, attempted to weave his hands into her hair, thinking maybe he had done something right.

Then of course, he had to be proven wrong. Slowly she separated herself from him and Logan watched her like a deer caught in the headlights. Her eyes filled with tears, and she ran, high heels and all, straight through the pool house, through the rooms of important people, and out to the front of the house.

It was then that she realized that she had planned on going home for the weekend and that her mother was her ride. So she sat on the side of her mother's jeep. She waited.

* * *

Logan watched Rory walk (actually run) away for him and he realized that for once he didn't want to watcher her go away. He was going to do something about it. Speeding through the rooms he ran to the front of the house, and then he saw her.

Hair in a pony tail, shoes in hands, and sulking.

She was as gorgeous as ever.

"Hi…"

"Hey…"

"Oh not this again…" Lorelei stepped out of the shadows, folded her arms, and frowned.


End file.
